


Sleepless in Skyhold

by vakarian_shepard



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Dragon Age Quest: Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Pre-Relationship, after that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-08
Updated: 2016-11-08
Packaged: 2018-08-29 19:04:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8501824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vakarian_shepard/pseuds/vakarian_shepard
Summary: Josephine and Lavellan both have a nasty habit of staying up way too late. This time, Josephine actually has a reason. Lavellan helps.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Josie's romance feels rushed and that makes me upset so here

Kaya had never been a restless sleeper until now. Between the unfamiliar comfort of a mattress, the unspeakable sense of loneliness in a room far too big for one person, and the strange shifting sensation in her hand, it was all she could do most nights to grab a twenty minute nap.

Inquisitor Lavellan became a bit of a ghost story around the castle. 

People whispered tales about where they’d seen her last night—in the stables, on the battlements, in the kitchens, coming out of _numerous_ rooms of her Inner Circle. They were all lies, truth be told. All she did was pace and walk the halls. Sometimes she went to the War Room to look over documents and plan out troop movements. 

Or, well, she stared blankly at the pages and pages of stuff that she could barely comprehend, let alone make informed decisions on.

It was because of that that she valued Josephine so much—having her sit down and explain what needed to be done and offer suggestions was truly the best thing in the world. Without Josie, the Inquisition would have sunk long ago.

Of course, Kaya thought fondly, lips turning up at the thought, Kaya herself would have sunk long ago as well. It was also just as nice when they sat together, Kaya curled up in front of the fire with a book and Josie writing dutifully away at her desk, enjoying each other’s company with no need to fill the silence. 

Kaya loved the rest of her companions, she did, but none of them offered the subtle comfort Josie did. Dorian was fun to debate with, but that got old. Solas was an ass—one with good intentions, perhaps, but an ass. Vivienne was beautiful and strong and Kaya liked talking magic with her, but that also got _old_. Sera made her laugh, and she loved that, but Sera had far more energy than Kaya could ever dream. Bull drank too much and she couldn’t keep up, much as she loved having drinks with him. Cole was a sweetheart, but she knew he got overwhelmed easily, so she only sought him out on occasion. Varric was hilarious, and arguably one of her best friends, but he was still _Varric_ and he liked to tell stories more than he did sit and breathe. Blackwall rubbed her the wrong way—not the _bad_ way just the _odd_ way. Something was off about him and it confused her. Made her uncomfortable. Cassandra was always working, as was Leliana. Cullen—Kaya just didn’t like him much. She wasn’t sure why.

But Josephine.

Oh, Josephine was her favorite. Josie made her smile, and her office always smelled of the flowers Kaya picked from the garden just because they made _Josie_ smile. The fireplace in her office was warm, the seats comfy and cozy, and Josephine herself was a delight. When they were done with their chores, sometimes they sat and had tea, trading stories of their youth back and forth, laughing. Kaya couldn’t remember the last time she enjoyed someone’s company so much.

She hadn’t expected to find anyone in the Ambassador’s office, this late at night. She’d been returning for the book she’d left earlier in the day, unable to sleep for what must have been the millionth time by now.

It startled her (and the person at the desk) when she found that she wasn’t alone.

“Inquisitor!”

“Josephine!”

Kaya had brought both hands up to her mouth, steepled across her nose, and Josephine had a hand on her heart. 

“I’m sorry!” Kaya squeaked, almost whining a little. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Josie laughed breathlessly, shaking her head. “It is nothing, Your Worship. I am sorry for startling _you_.”

Kaya rolled her eyes at the title, sighing a little. She looked at Josie for a moment, took in the bags under her eyes and the way she was leaning on her desk. “Why are you still awake?”

Josephine shrugged, turning back to the paper on her desk. “I could ask you the same question.”

“Well _yeah_ ,” Kaya laughed, walking over to lean on the other side of Josie’s desk, “but I asked _first_.” When her smile only received a dull stare in return, she deflated a little. “What’s wrong?”

Josephine shook her head. “It’s nothing.”

“It’s obviously not _nothing_ if you’re still stuffed up in here working in the middle of the night,” Kaya argued, laughing a little. “What’s up?”

The Ambassador sighed, low and heavy, bracing her elbows on the desk and rubbing tiredly at her eyes. “It is my family,” she confessed quietly. “My brother has made some— _questionable_ purchases lately and it has thrown the _entire_ budget out of control. I have been trying for hours but…”

“But?” Kaya prodded after Josie didn’t continue.

“It looks like Yvette may have to discontinue her art lessons and move back home to Antiva, at least until we can raise the funds back up.” Josie sniffled, almost like she’d been crying, and while Kaya didn’t have any siblings of her own, she imagined how it must hurt to break their heart.

Sighing softly, Kaya ran a hand through her already unruly hair. “Okay, well, first of all, let’s get you out of this room.”

Josie glared at her. “Why?”

Kaya shrugged. “Sometimes a change of scenery helps you see something you didn’t before.” She offered her her hand, wiggling her fingers invitingly and smiling. “Come on, Josie. Take a breath. Bring your papers, and we’ll go up to my quarters and work through it together, huh?”

She laughed a little, even as she let Kaya pull her up. “You know nothing about finances.”

“No,” Kaya agreed, lingering, “but I know you and I know how to solve problems. We’ll think of something, yeah? We always do, you and me. We’re unstoppable.”

Josephine’s answering smile was as sweet as those little cakes they had at the Winter Palace.

 

* * *

 

“I can’t believe it,” Josie said, an hour later, staring down at the papers spread across the desk in Kaya’s room. “We actually fixed it.”

Kaya laughed, warm and sleepy now, cross-legged in the big fluffy arm chair she’d dragged over, reaching over to brush a loose piece of hair behind Josie’s ear. “‘Course we did. We’re unstoppable, remember?”

“I don’t know about that,” Josephine said quietly, shuffling her papers and avoiding Kaya’s gaze. “There is still Corypheus to worry about, after all.”

“Yeah,” Kaya mumbled. “But we can solve that problem, too. I’m sure of it.”

They were sitting close now, so close that Kaya could count the dusting of freckles across Josie’s nose. Her eyes dropped to her lips just briefly, and she watched Josephine swallow thickly as she asked, “How can you be so sure?”

Kaya grinned, bringing her gaze back to hers. “‘Cuz I’ve got _you_. You make me feel like I could do anything, you know?”

And, impulsively, as Josephine’s face turned red, Kaya leaned in and kissed her.

It was soft, at first, hesitant as Kaya waited for Josie to push her off, but she didn’t. All she did was tilt her head a little and tentatively press back, sighing ever so quietly into Kaya’s mouth. They set up an easy rhythm quickly, nothing deep or hungry, just the soft, sliding, exploratory pressing of lips against lips. Up so close, Kaya could smell the Crystal Grace she’d left on her desk earlier that day, and combined with the blossoming feeling of a budding relationship tickling her stomach, Kaya was bewitched. 

She could sit here for an eternity, she thought, just kissing Josephine, forever and always, until the halla come home.

Kaya was the one who broke away, grinning a little when Josie leaned after her a little, not quite ready for the moment to break. Kaya smiled sweetly as Josie’s eyes fluttered open.

“As much as I’d like to continue,” Kaya began, “we both need sleep. Badly, judging by the bags under your eyes and the way the room seems to be tilting a little for me.”

Josephine cleared her throat, face still red and nodded. “Yes. Yes, you are right. I—,” she rose to her feet, clutching her papers to her chest. “I bid you goodnight, Inquisitor.”

“Night, Josie,” Kaya sighed, smiling as she propped her chin up on her hand. “See you tomorrow.”

Josephine smiled at the top of the stairs and nodded. “Tomorrow.”


End file.
